Types Of Bees

When it comes to a bee, perhaps the first thing that crosses your mind is bee sting. However, there is a lot more to the bees than you might know. You are perhaps not entirely aware of the various aspects of the bees' world. They provide truly-appreciated support by helping with pollination of all kinds of flowers and plants. There are a variety of bees, including social and solitary bees. So let's have a look at what are social and solitary bees:

Social Bees

Social Bees comprise the bees such as Honey and Bumble Bees. Generally, they make honey and wax inside their hive. When these bees feel that their hive is in danger, they can sting you. However, their stinger is left behind and they die after stinging. These bees live in their hive and are ruled by a queen. Queen bee would be the largest bee in the hive. Given below are a few types of social bees:

1. Bumble Bees

Bumble bees are very large in size and can be seen black and yellow color. They can be seen flying around the gardens during warm months. Bumble bees are always looking for flowers for nectar and pollen. They are social, have a queen and they nurture the young bees. Usually, these bees are docile and have no interest in stinging people unless feeling threatened.

2. Honey Bees

These docile bees are very common and can be seen around. Honey bees build colonies where about 80,000 bees can live and create honey in hives. Each bee has a specific role in maintaining the hive and making colonies flourish. Honey bees have a barbed sting. If these bees live around your house, it would be better to keep the place clean and tidy. Moreover, their colonies are collapsing and it has become a serious problem.

3. Africanized Bees

Africanized bees are also identified as killer bees. They have originated on the continent of Africa. They were created through crossbreeding with normal honey bees. These bees are known to be short tempered. They take over the regions that were inhabited by regular honey bees. They are very territorial. If anyone or anything comes near their hive, they attack them and sting them to death.

Solitary Bees

Solitary Bees consist of bees such as Mason bees, Leafcutter bees, Carpenter bees, Digger bees, Miner bees, and more. They live alone and not in a group. They are not aggressive by nature and hardly ever sting people. These bees can be seen flying around the flowers to get pollen and nectar. Their types:

1. Carpenter Bees

Carpenter bees look very large, fat, and very hairy. But they don't have hair on its belly. These bees make their homes into the wood like trees and logs. They create spaces for eggs and larvae.

2. Mason and Leaf-cutting Bees

They belong to the same family. But Leaf-cutting bees prefer to make their home in rotting wood and Mason bees make their home into lax mortar buildings.

3. Digger Bees

You can often find them appearing out of holes in the ground where they build their nests. Their holes usually contain one big chamber and a few diverging tunnels for food and their larvae and eggs.

4. Mining Bees

Mining bees build intricate tunnels and nests under the ground. They like loose soil to build nests.